Woody

Fragrances based on fragrant woods: and, within that remit, very varied - grainy, dry, blond and smooth; or earthy, oily, dark and suggestive of forest depths.

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If flowers were the earliest way in which primitive Man used perfume, woody fragrances were the first to be actively created. Once our ancestors had mastered fire they discovered that delicious psychotropic smells could be released by the burning of aromatic woods. There seemed a supernatural magic in the perfumed smoke that linked earthly altars and hearths with the unseen Powers above the skies.

Modern woody perfumes use oils of precious woods, oud, patchouli and synthetics to produce a variety of effects. 'Woody' sometimes feels too wide a term when choosing a scent and then needs qualifying by reference to other Families - Green, Oriental and maybe Citrus. Woody scents may be dry and grainy; earthy or leathery; spliced with tobacco and vanilla; or mossy and in full leaf, green and oozing sap and resin.

The Woody Family seems to have become increasingly popular as perfume-lovers seek types of fragrance that are not immediately recognizable or too readily defined. They look for scents with a soft clean quality that are not too sweet or pungent. Woody perfumes form so varied and so wide a category that they offer a very generous choice; appropriate to any occasion and suitable for either sex they are elegant yet relaxed; refined, classic and very easy to wear.